Tom Repass is not one for the spotlight. He takes a quiet and steady approach to his work, having learned over the years what it takes to be part of a healthy and successful team.
And it shows.
Tom serves our community as a senior district fleet manager for Waste Management. His job is to make sure every Waste Management truck is in safe working condition, ready to serve the community.
Tom’s work is key to Waste Management’s commitment to safety and protecting the environment. That means managing strict schedules for new air filters, oil changes, tire pressure checks and other maintenance best practices that are essential for clean operations and fuel efficiency.
His days often start long before daybreak and end late into the night, just as they did while he was serving in the U.S. Army. The reason is simple if you understand the military: everything revolves around the “mission.” The mission today just happens to involve keeping our communities clean and safe.
Tom joined the military in 1983, was deployed for Desert Storm, and then reactivated for Kuwait and Iraq. After completing his tours of service, Tom enlisted in the National Guard and began working at Waste Management.
Tom has been deployed twice since then. With each deployment, it has become clearer to him that his training and work in these two arenas (WM and the military) are complementary in powerful ways.
“The leadership skills I developed in the military translate well at Waste Management,” Tom said. “At the same time, my experiences at WM sharpened my technical skills because of the company’s focus on training, technology and state-of-the-art equipment.”
Training is the common denominator in both arenas, focused on how to use new technology, and then getting that technology to perform under adverse conditions.
“In fact,” he said, “what I learned at Waste Management made me one of the strongest technicians on my last deployment.”
Tom has advanced at Waste Management, in part, because he provides his teams clear and decisive leadership, and because of the technical skills he developed in the military.
Tom said he and his family have also appreciated the support that comes with being part of the “WM family.”
“My co-workers were there for my family when I was gone,” he said. “They helped my wife with everything, even cleaning the gutters. They really stepped up to help my family.”
It makes sense. Waste Management is a champion for veterans—among the nation’s top employers of veterans. One of every 14 Waste Management employees is a veteran, a spouse of a vet, or a current reservist.
That’s why, for six years running, WM has earned recognition as one of the most veteran-friendly companies from U.S. Veterans Magazine, Military Times and GI Jobs.
For Waste Management leaders like Marc Davis, who manages the team serving Auburn, it also explains why Tom Repass and so many military veterans are proud of their work as WM drivers and managers.
“Tom’s story is a great example,” Davis said. “He is one among many who proudly and capably served our country for years. Now they serve our community in their roles for Waste Management.”
Michelle Metzler is the education & outreach coordinator for Waste Management.
